Anderson Helps IBD Sufferers Get Their Full Course

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Best known as author of the New York Times Best Selling cookbook, Sunny’s Kitchen, and as cohost of the popular daytime cooking themed talk show, The Kitchen, Sunny Anderson recently visited Boston to talk with fans at the New England Chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) to raise awareness for the 1.6 million Americans living with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

“I’ve been living with inflammatory bowel disease for more than 20 years now so I know it’s not something people like to talk about,” Anderson said in an interview with Color Magazine. “I’ve never been shy about it because that’s not who I am, but I realized that because of my position in the world of celebrity and celebrity chefs, I had a unique opportunity to take the conversation out of the dark and shed some light upon it.”

Working with CCFA, Anderson developed Get Your Full Course, an educational campaign which addresses the importance of incorporating the proper diet and nutrition along with appropriate therapy in managing IBD. In addition, Sunny created a series of recipes containing nutrients beneficial for those living with IBD.

“People think IBD is caused by, and can be cured by, diet, but that isn’t how it works. The problem isn’t what you eat, but the way your body can or can’t absorb nutrients from those foods in your small intestines,” Anderson explained. “Having said that, you still need to pay close attention to what you eat, especially when you are experiencing a flair-up. In fact, some foods you eat may actually trigger a flair-up. There is not one set diet that is applicable to every single person with IBD, so you need to modify your diet depending on the symptoms you experience.” Depending on the individual, she added, they may need to make substitutions or completely avoid certain ingredients or food groups until their disease is under control or in remission.

“When we were designing the recipes for Full Course, our focus was always on giving each meal the highest nutritional value possible,” Anderson added. “I also wanted to come up with meals and recipes that anybody could cook. That was something I really tried to focus on in my book; I always tell people that chefs are for special occasions, but a cook is a person who feeds you every day. I’m a cook. When I see a recipe, I want to be able to read it and, if it sounds good, know that I can make it.”

The user-friendly Get Your Full Course recipe page on the website (http://www.getyourfullcourse.com) allows each cook pair the meal they want to prepare with the ingredients they want to use. For example, if you are looking for a main course dish that features peanut butter, you can make Sunny’s Peanut Chicken and Rice. As Sunny says on the site, ” Give them a try and keep track of not only whether you enjoy them (because that’s really important!), but also how you feel after eating them. Remember, there is no one meal or diet that works for everyone.”